Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP) is a public health non-profit. Since 1994, we have focused our efforts on telling the WHY of food safety by sharing the stories of our constituent-advocates. Their dedication to presenting a truthful representation of the illness and outcomes associated with eating foods contaminated by pathogens is at the heart of STOP’s work. A small but mighty team of seven (7), we work tirelessly to end illness and death because we’re all at risk of foodborne illness.
The recall system in the U.S. was developed to inform consumers. Sadly, the system has not changed in over 30 years, and it does not provide timely, actionable, and easily accessible information for consumers.
Through the work of our program, the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, STOP began convening a multi-faceted stakeholder working group on this issue in September 2020 and continues to pursue systemic changes throughout both the FDA and USDA systems. We are seeking additional funding to support research that will provide insights into what changes will be beneficial and transformational for the consumer.
On September 29, 2023, the FDA hosted a hybrid public meeting: “Modernizing Food and Drug Administration Recalls Listening Session.” Three of STOP’s constituents and our CEO were on hand in Washington, DC, to share their stories and continue the call for recall modernization.
The development of STOP’s ever-evolving website is focused on providing resources for our constituents. The Navigational Map is for those that are in crisis, post-crisis or managing the long-term effects of surviving severe foodborne disease. This extensive resource takes you step by step through the odyssey of foodborne illness and was created by STOP constituents based on their own experiences. A video featuring Mary Heersink, one of STOP’s founding mothers whose son Damien almost died from E. coli O157:H7, welcomes you to the page and provides the visitor guidance.
Another valuable resource for constituents is our Peer-to-Peer Mentoring. This program connects survivors and family members of victims and survivors with another person who has had a similar foodborne illness experience.
STOP regularly receives requests for its constituents to tell their stories. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we have so many constituent-advocates who willingly dredge up an unpleasant and often traumatic part of their life to publicly share their experiences. For nearly 30 years their anger, determination, and openness has helped make a change that is noticeable. In 1994, at the beginning, STOP was calling for safer food and the FSIS declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef. More people joined their voices with ours and urged President Clinton to sign the Safe Food Act of 1997, the first major legislation concerning food safety in 90 years! Our constituent-advocates kept talking and sharing and challenging the status quo and in 2011 President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act. And still, there remains work to be done …
*Companies and organizations that request speakers are charged a fee for access to our constituents and are required to cover the cost of any travel related expenses.
Stop Foodborne Illness is well respected within the food industry and food safety community as an advocate for consumers. Throughout the year, our leadership team receives opportunities to share the substance of our collaborative work and amplify the message of those whose lives have been greatly altered from something as base as eating.
In partnership with Michigan State University, the Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship is offered to a recent graduate with a food science, animal science, political science, or public health undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Working within the mission of STOP, the Fellow focuses mainly on two designated projects while also participating in other activities that support learning and experience in food safety. We have had four Theno Fellowships thus far and consider every one of them a success. Two of our alumni are currently studying medicine, a third is working for a California County Department of Health and Human Services, and the fourth is a QA Specialist in a Fortune 500 company.
Every September during National Food Safety Education Month, Stop Foodborne Illness hosts its annual STOP3000 awareness and fundraising event. Through our event we challenge our constituents, their friends and families, our corporate partners, and donors to take 3,000 steps each day – every day – throughout the month of September to remember and honor the 3,000 lives lost each year to foodborne illness in the U.S.
Wisdom brings strength, and knowledge gives power. We need you to help us reach further and offer a wider array of solutions for a problem that many are unaware of until it touches them personally.
Members of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness designed this award-winning toolkit to strengthen food safety culture at small- and medium-sized organizations. This set of tools is free and available to anyone who wants access. Contributing time, insight and resources, Alliance partners across the food industry create tools which are:
● Informed by the most current science
● Based on years of personal experience
● Tailored to be most useful for small- and medium-sized companies
Advancing your intentional food safety is not a linear journey. It is an iterative process of continual learning.
This program (the Alliance) is a consumer-industry initiative to influence human behaviors and improve internal food safety culture. Led by a team at STOP, the Alliance is a collaborative partnership of leading food companies and organizations committed to the goal of preventing foodborne illness by utilizing compelling personal stories of individuals and families who have been impacted by a severe foodborne illness.
The goal of communicating personal stories is to make clear why safety must be a central value of the food system. In this data-driven world, giving a voice to those who have experienced the greatest impact of foodborne pathogens is a critical component to motivate people at all levels to do the right thing to reduce hazards and prevent illness.
With only seven full-time employees, STOP is getting a lot done and making an impact! General operating consists of the daily expenses and overhead costs that typically include: office space, utilities, office equipment, and basic supplies.
As we grow, we continue increasing the visibility of our work and engagement with the media. To achieve established goals, we have engaged professional consultants to assist with PR and fundraising. Our partnerships with these consultants have produced results beyond expectations and have positioned STOP as a credible and reliable source to provide the consumer perspective on food and food safety issues. A trusted nonprofit, STOP is rated Gold Transparency on GuideStar.
Stop Foodborne Illness is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.
